Mounting a Chinese paper painting is a delicate process as the paper is flimsy and must be handled with care. Before framing a painting you must first mount it to a piece of mounting rice paper which is slightly thicker than the painting. Once the mounting process is completed you can then place your painting inside an appropriately sized frame. Finding a frame is the simplest part of the process since you can simply take your dimensions to the nearest framer and ask for a custom frame.
Use a ruler to measure the length and the width of the painting. Subtract 1/2-inch from both the length and the width. Cut a piece of mounting glue paper to the new length and width using a razor blade.
Hold the painting against a mirror and mist the back of the painting with a spray bottle -- use just enough water to get the backing wet.
Place an additional sheet of rice paper over the painted part of painting. Holding the top of the rice paper, gently drop the back of the painting onto the glue paper. Using light pressure, press from the bottom of the painting to the top to secure it with the glue. Don't press so hard that you create wrinkles in the painting.
Place the iron on the lowest setting and hold it over the rice paper, the painting must be kept under the rice paper to protect it. Apply light pressure and, using a circular motion, work from the inside of the painting to the outside. You are just melting the glue onto the painting at this point.
Peel the painting gently off the glue paper and lay the Chinese paper painting, face up, on a sheet of rice paper approximately 1/8-inch larger than the painting itself. Gently smooth out any wrinkles that appear and let the painting sit for 15 minutes.
Use a sharp razor to cut the edges of the Chinese paper painting and the mounting board to the correct size. Choose a frame for your painting to protect your painting.
